Minassian admits to planning, carrying out Toronto van attack
Posted March 5, 2020 12:12 pm.
Last Updated March 5, 2020 8:39 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A man who killed 10 people when he drove a van into crowds of pedestrians on a busy Toronto sidewalk in 2018 has admitted in a court document to planning and carrying out the attack.
Alek Minassian faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 of attempted murder in connection with the attack on April 23, 2018.
At a pre-trial hearing being held Thursday the defence argued the admissibility of a statement made by Minassian while being booked at 32 Division following his arrest. His trial is scheduled to begin in front of a judge, without a jury, in April.
Crown attorney John Rinaldi read out an agreed statement of facts between the prosecution and defence.
“While driving the van in the said area, (Minassian) drove his van into, or otherwise struck, at least 26 people, 10 of those people were killed and 16 injured to various degrees,” Rinaldi said.
The video, played in court Thursday, showed Staff Sgt. Brad Lloyd asking Minassian a series of questions.
When asked if he has any illnesses, Minassian responds, “Yes, I’m a murdering piece of s***.”
He was also asked if he has done drugs and drank alcohol in the last 12 hours, to which Minassian says no.
Minassian’s lawyer, Boris Bytensky, conceded he made the statement, but say his right to remain silent, a charter right, was violated.
Bytensky wants the statement excluded along with his client’s comments to an arresting officer that he wanted “suicide by cop” and to “die by cop.”
Const. Butler, one of the arresting officers at the scene, testified Wednesday he read Minassian his rights, telling him he was under arrest for attempted murder and advised him of his right to a lawyer, which Minassian declined.
Butler also said Minassian was made aware twice, once before and in the video, that he was being recorded while in the booking room. He said he told Minassian at the police station that he faced a charge of attempted murder because he didn’t have confirmation of any deaths.
Bytensky in his cross-examination pointed out in the video, Butler tells the booking officer, Staff Sgt. Brad Lloyd, Minassian was under arrest for numerous attempt murder charges and vehicular manslaughter. Vehicular manslaughter doesn’t exist in Canada and in order for a charge of manslaughter, the victim would have to have died.
The defence said this is the first Minassian has heard of multiple charges as he was only told about one attempt murder charge during his initial arrest.
Minassian was told about three hours later that he was now facing multiple murder and attempted murder charges.
Butler said he was still unclear what was going on, as the situation remain very dynamic and didn’t want to minimize the potential charges during the booking process.
He believed the actual charges would be conveyed once the dust had settled.
Minassian lawyer’s also called attention to the fact Const. Butler did not mention to the booking officer about Minassian’s comments about “suicide by cop.”
Bytensky also read out a section of a police policy that stated it was an officer’s duty to report to the officer in charge any pertinent information relating to the person or arrest, including “known or suspected suicidal tendencies.”
Butler admitted in the courtroom, he should have made Staff Sgt. Lloyd aware of the comments.
Staff Sgt. Lloyd also took the stand today and contended the information “would have been helpful.”
Minassian, who was present in court Thursday, showed little emotion, either looking at the ground or staring directly straight ahead.
Several victims and families of those who died in the attack were in the courtroom including Beverly Smith, who lost both her legs in the attack, and the family of Anne Marie D’Amico who was killed.
Minassian later told police in a lengthy interview after the attack that he carried it out in retribution for years of sexual rejection and ridicule by women. He told a detective that he was part of the so-called “incel movement,” which is a fringe internet subculture that attracts males who are involuntarily celibate.
Minassian told Det. Rob Thomas that he saw himself on the bottom rung of society as an incel, and wanted to be part of an “uprising” in an effort to change his societal status.
“This is the day of retribution,” Minassian told Thomas.
He also told the detective he had “accomplished” his mission.
Minassian conceded that interview in court on Thursday, which will now form part of the agreed facts in the case.
The defence has indicated it will call psychiatric evidence, and the prosecution said it has its own psychiatrist who is expected to testify.
The judge has said the case will turn on Minassian’s state of mind at the time of the attack, not whether he did it.
The trial is scheduled to begin on April 6. The Crown has asked the court not to sit on April 23, the second anniversary of the van attack, at the request of some of the victims’ families.
